Agencies and Commissions November 27, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Louisiana has scheduled special elections to fill the U.S. House of Representatives seat in the First Congressional District being vacated by Representative Bobby Jindal. There are three possible special elections, but only two may be necessary. Primary Election: March 8, 2008. Possible Runoff Election: April 5, 2008. In the event that one candidate does not achieve a majority vote in his/her party's Special Primary Election, the top two vote-getters will participate in a Special Runoff Election. General Election: May 3, 2008. However, if a Special Runoff Election is not necessary, the Special General will instead be held on April 5, 2008.

The Federal Trade Commission (``FTC'' or ``Commission'') is planning to host a public workshop on January 8, 2008 to examine the emerging market for carbon offsets (i.e., greenhouse gas emission reduction products) and renewable energy certificates, and related advertising claims. The workshop is a component of the Commission's regulatory review of the Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims, which is being announced in a separate Federal Register notice published concurrently.

Section 150.2 of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's (``Commission'') regulations imposes limits on the size of speculative positions that traders may hold or control in futures and futures equivalent option contracts on certain designated agricultural commodities named therein. Section 150.3 lists certain types of positions that may be exempted from these Federal speculative position limits. The Commission is proposing to provide an additional exemption for ``risk management positions.'' A risk management position would be defined as a futures or futures equivalent position, held as part of a broadly diversified portfolio of long-only or short-only futures or futures equivalent positions, that is based upon either: A fiduciary obligation to match or track the results of a broadly diversified index that includes the same commodity markets in fundamentally the same proportions as the futures or futures equivalent position; or a portfolio diversification plan that has, among other substantial asset classes, an exposure to a broadly diversified index that includes the same commodity markets in fundamentally the same proportions as the futures or futures equivalent position. The exemption would be subject to conditions, including that the positions must be passively managed, must be unleveraged, and may not be carried into the spot month.

The Commission hereby gives notice of the scheduling of a full review pursuant to section 751(c)(5) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1675(c)(5)) (the Act) to determine whether revocation of the antidumping duty order on brake rotors from China would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury within a reasonably foreseeable time. For further information concerning the conduct of this review and rules of general application, consult the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, part 201, subparts A through E (19 CFR part 201), and part 207, subparts A, D, E, and F (19 CFR part 207).

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is making efforts to reduce the paperwork burden. USAID invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act for 1995. Comments are requested concerning: (a) Whether the proposed or continuing collections of information are necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility: (b) the accuracy of the burden estimates: (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, an clarity of the information collected: and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Secretariat will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a currently approved information collection requirement concerning cost or pricing data requirements and information other than cost or pricing data. The clearance currently expires on May 31, 2008. Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the FAR, and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways in which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through the use of appropriate technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.